Thread: Importance of stretching/ Stretching techniques

I find that stretching the face gives me the best results and from everything I have read here on the forums it is recommended.

Yes, just moisten your fingers and swipe them across the alum block.

I couldn't shave with a straight razor without stretching my skin, its pretty much essential. Even more necessary if you have beard growth that mimics a world map of sea currents. Stretching becomes your favourite friend.

Something I've noticed as well, if you have to stretch your face so much that you could probably see your nipples in the mirror... your pulling too tightly and your razor isn't sharp enough. It shoiuld be pulled taught, not overly stretched, just so the razor has a nice flat surface that it won't catch on and to prop up the hairs so they can get guillotined.

regards Alex

I use a combination of stretching and grimacing, and that seems to work well for me. As far as where to hold, well, it's wherever you can. I pull my ears back and up, push the tip of my nose, tug my lip (don't do this with alum soaked fingers - it won't kill you, but don't do it) and pinch and pull the skin on my neck.

It's a fair guess that you'll find your own way of doing things as you get more practice, pretty much the same way we all did. Some techniques will work, others not so much.

Truth is I have to stretch my skin more now than when I was young(er), but it has become second nature and don't really think about it as I do it. Probably a good thing because I would hurt myself laughing if I paid attention to the faces I make during the shave.

For me it works to start with the area directly under the sideburns, and that gives me a grip for the cheeks, which gives me a finger-hold for the sides of the chin and so on. Again, the secret is no secret; what works for me probably won't work for you and vice versa. The key is to try different things and keep what works.

Good luck,


Marcos

Originally Posted by asj1991

Hey everyone, question about stretching during shaving. I find myself manipulating my face to stretch, and pulling my skin tight by opening my mouth for cheeks, lifting chin for neck, etc. I rarely find myself using my free hand to stretch my skin, partially because I forget, and partially because I simply do not want to try stretching by putting my free hand on an unshaved area with lather on it. Is this poor technique? Should I always be using my free hand to stretch skin?

Years ago my barber would apply lather to the back of my neck
and sides. He would then strop his razor on leather almost never
using the canvas side. After stropping and a story the lather
will have done the job... he would then wipe the lather clear with his
thumb wipe it on the back of his hand then stretch the skin and
tidy up my sides and the back of my neck. Wipe shave, wipe shave
bit by bit.

The point is that he like you wanted clean skin and a clean
thumb for the stretching.

Me I pull up with my off hand in my hair and shave down
my sides a bit. Once I have cleared some skin I move my
off hand to the clear skin to stretch.

I also stretch in front and behind the razor. Sometimes I shave
away from my off hand and sometimes toward it... Always short
light shave motions feeling of wiping the lather off works best.
Sometimes I just puff my cheeks or make a face... depending on
the patch I want to shave next. Patches... think small postage stamp
wide patch.